


Just As You Are

by Notabeautifullittlefool



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-21 01:57:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16150136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notabeautifullittlefool/pseuds/Notabeautifullittlefool
Summary: "Welcome back, Miss Hardbroom.""I haven't been away."Technically, she told the truth. But she knew it was a lie all the same.





	Just As You Are

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for this pairing (and in general for a while). It may be sort of OOC, so apologies if it is/if that's distracting. Hope you like it all the same, though.

"Welcome back, Miss Hardbroom." 

"I haven't been away."

 

Technically, she told the truth. But she knew it was a lie all the same.

 

\------------------------------------------

Hecate sat in her chambers later that night, the events of the day replaying on a never-ending loop in her mind. She went through the motions of decompressing from the day- trying to focus her mind on something, anything else- as she undid her bun.

 

She caught sight of herself in her mirror- hair down and her same dress as earlier and nearly collapsed onto her chair as the past several hours rushed to the forefront of her mind. Still clutching her hairbrush, she stared into the fire in the hearth, not really seeing. 

 

"Hecate? Hecate, darling, what's wrong?"  
The voice shook Hecate from her daze and she looked up to find herself staring at Pippa kneeling right in front of her. She started, not realizing Pippa's hand rested on her knee until the sudden jump caused her to remove it. 

 

"Pippa, what are you doing here? I thought we were simply going to mirror tonight." Hecate quickly scanned Pippa, checking for anything out of the ordinary. Finding nothing, she smoothed the front of her dress out of habit and a desperate need to avoid looking directly at her. 

 

"We were, but when you didn't answer my mirror call and I saw you sitting there not moving, I got worried. I transferred over as quickly as I could." 

 

Hecate's eyes shot up to meet Pippa's. "You transferred here? Pippa, that's too far- you could have hurt yourself or passed out from the magical exhaustion or-"

 

Pippa stood up and sat on the armrest of Hecate's chair, grabbing hold of her hand as she settled. "I made the trip in a few jumps. I was careful, Hecate, but flying would have taken too long and I was worried about you!

Now, Hiccup, what's wrong?"

 

Hecate took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she decided how to explain to Pippa what happened and her reaction. 

 

"I….I'm afraid, Pipsqueak."

 

Pippa sat quietly, rubbing her thumb over Hecate's knuckles in silent support and encouragement as she waited for Hecate to continue.

"I'm afraid," Hecate said haltingly, "that I've turned into her. I swore I would never let myself become anything like her, but then today-" Hecate cleared her throat in an attempt to hide the way her voice was shaking. She took a moment to try and compose herself again, and when she spoke it was with a much calmer and quieter voice.

"Today, Miss Doomstone visited to assess whether Cackle's would remain open, at request of the Council, as I'm sure you heard."

 

Pippa nodded when Hecate looked up at her, continuing her soft, soothing motions on Hecate's hand without realizing. Satisfied, Hecate nodded slightly and continued.

 

"Of course, we didn't tell the students. No need to worry them until absolutely necessary. But the first years were in my class and a select few decided to…deviate from the lesson I had prepared. 

 

They made a personality changing potion. For me.

 

They believed I would be more 'fun' and easier to be around if I were the opposite of my usual self."

 

Pippa felt like her heart had flown into her throat at Hecate's admission. She immediately let go of her hand to gather her into a crushing hug. Hecate stiffed at the sudden contact, but relaxed into Pippa's embrace as she felt her fingers combing through her hair. 

 

Hecate sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be terribly surprised that it happened. If I were being honest, I'm rather surprised it hasn't happened before. If I were less like-

 

Pippa interrupted her, speaking quietly but firmly. "Listen to me Hecate Hardbroom. You are not, never have been, and never will be Miss Broomhead. She was needlessly cruel and took pleasure in having absolute power over her pupils. You're certainly strict with your students, but they know it's because you care so fiercely about their wellbeing and their mastery of The Craft.

 

What those girls did to you was wrong, and it's not your fault."

 

At Pippa's words, Hecate felt the tears streaming down her face as she buried her head in Pippa's stomach, wrapping her arms around her as tight as she could. 

 

"It was awful, Pip. It's like I could only watch everything I was doing, but I couldn't stop it. It felt like I'd been possessed- I was mortified, but I kept on making a fool of myself.

 

When they'd finally convinced me to drink the antidote and it was all over, I pretended I didn't remember any of it. I was too ashamed.

 

I kept hearing everyone muttering about 'Miss Softbroom' all day, giving me curious stares, and then laughing as they walked away."

 

Pippa kissed the top of Hecate's head and lightly drew patterns across her back.  
"Oh, my darling Hiccup, you are wonderful exactly as you are. Those girls don't know you- you are caring and sarcastic and quick witted, and just seeing you is enough to make me smile. If you were truly anything like your old teacher, none of that would be true. But it is, and I wish you could see yourself the way I do."

Hecate allowed herself to take comfort in Pippa's embrace for a moment longer before extricating herself from Pippa's arms. She wiped her face and drew a deep breath, standing to pick up the brush she had carelessly dropped before Pippa's arrival. 

 

Pippa could see Hecate's walls flying back up around her and was determined to keep that from happening. 

"Hiccup, let me," she murmured, standing up and walking to take the brush from Hecate's hands. She gently pushed on her shoulders until Hecate was sitting in front of her on the couch. 

"You really don't have to," Hecate mumbled, following Pippa's wordless instructions. 

"I want to.

French braid, then?"

Hecate nodded, and Pippa took that as her cue to begin slowly brushing through the length of Hecate's dark hair, gently untangling the snarls, as she methodically plaited. 

The two witches sat, enjoying each other's company in silence until Hecate spoke up.

"Thank you, Pipsqueak." They both knew she meant more than for fixing her hair. Smiling to herself, Pippa answered her. 

"Anytime, Hiccup. I'm always here for you."


End file.
